Howdy

[Aqua Letifer]

So, everyone loves to rag on The 13th Warrior, with Antonio Banderas.

It was based on Crichton's Eaters of the Dead.

...Which is a fictionalized embellishment of the real journal of Ahmad ibn Fadlan.

Which I happen to own a copy of, because I'm a nerd like that.

You know the scene in the beginning of the movie, when the young page stands on the boat before coming ashore? Fadlan asks his guide what the hell. They describe it in a mystical way, that the boy is practicing manners by letting himself be seen, so those ashore can be certain he's no apparition or shadow.

That's more or less from the original journal. Fadlan found it a strange custom.

Here's what I find funny: you deliver something that requires a signature, or go to a buddy's house. You knock on the door. You hear someone coming down the stairs to get to the front door. What do you do if you aren't an asshole? Step back from the door. Give some space so they can see who's at the door. Let yourself be seen.

We've been doing it for at least 1500 years.

(Other fun notes: the "sanitary bowl" scene is accurate: straight from the journal. But why most people ever read the thing in the first place is the viking burial scene, which, fine details aside, is exactly what you see in the movie, too. The woman's lines came from the journal, verbatim.)

[Jolly]

One of my favorite books by Crichton. I like the movie, too, even though critics have not been kind to it.

Link to video

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in Howdy:

One of my favorite books by Crichton. I like the movie, too, even though critics have not been kind to it.

Link to video

It's not even remotely as bad as its reputation suggests. It's also strangely accurate in places.

[Jolly]

Here's part of Goldsmith's score.

Link to video

I think he did a good job.

[Jolly]

And you can compare it to Hans Zimmer's work in King Arthur:

Link to video

[Jolly]

Zimmer again, with The Last Samurai:

Link to video

[Jolly]

Now, John Williams, from the first Harry Potter:

Link to video

[Jolly]

Lastly, James Howard, from Fantastic Beasts:

Link to video

[Jolly]

Now, which one said "Hello", best?

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in Howdy:

Now, which one said "Hello", best?

Heck I dunno, I'd say they all do it in pretty different ways.

[Jolly]

I think movie scores are the classical music of today. Goldsmith and Williams are pretty good.

Who knows? In 200 years, maybe the symphony opens with Bach and then twinkles into the music from the first Potter movie...

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in Howdy:

I think movie scores are the classical music of today. Goldsmith and Williams are pretty good.

Who knows? In 200 years, maybe the symphony opens with Bach and then twinkles into the music from the first Potter movie...

I'd agree. And yes, those two are extremely talented.

I just hope music survives the current dry spell.

[Copper]

@Jolly said in Howdy:

Goldsmith and Williams are pretty good.

Alan Menken and the Sherman Brothers did some nice work for Disney.

Yes, I know it's not for everyone.

But you could probably sing along with a lot of it.

[Renauda]

So what does all this have to do with saying hello, howdy, ahoy or what’s happening?

[Jolly]

We morphed.

From individual greetings to signature theatrical greetings.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in Howdy:

We morphed.

From individual greetings to signature theatrical greetings.

It's the TNCR way.

[LuFins Dad]

@Copper said in Howdy:

@Jolly said in Howdy:

Goldsmith and Williams are pretty good.

Alan Menken and the Sherman Brothers did some nice work for Disney.

Yes, I know it's not for everyone.

But you could probably sing along with a lot of it.

Got to meet Mr Menken. My favorite of his was Galavant…